USA > Minnesota > Cottonwood County > History of Cottonwood and Watonwan counties, Minnesota : their people, industries, and institutions, Volume I > Part 28
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CHAPTER XIX.
MISCELLANEOUS TOPICS AND INCIDENTS.
IMMIGRATION ASSOCIATION.
The Cottonwood County Immigration Society was formed in Windom in May, 1882, with John Clark as president and the following men as vice- presidents, chosen according to townships: Lakeside, S. O. Taggart; Moun- tain Lake, John Janzen; Selma, H. M. Goss; Delton, C. S. Narmoer ; Carson, Fred Carpenter; Great Bend, C. Warren; Dale, J. Cutler ; Amboy, Wilbur Potter; Germantown, Chris Brand; Highwater, Geo. Quale; Sorden, Chias. Reipka; Amo, Corlis Mead; Springfield, T. S. Brown; Southbrook, W. H. Jones ; Rose Hill, Henry Trantfether ; Ann, C. II. Anderson ; secretary, E. C. Huntington ; treasurer, J. N. McGregor ; executive committee : A. D. Perkins, J. S. Redding, John Hutton, E. C. Huntington, Paul Seeger, S. M. Espy and A. Quevli. The object of the association was the dissemination and accumulation of information concerning Cottonwood county, its climate, its resources, its prospects, and the promotion of its settlement.
It was the duty of the vice-presidents to collect information and facts relating to the character and resources of townships represented by them ; also to furnish the same to the executive committee and to co-operate with the officers of the association in securing a judicious distribution of such publications as may be issued by the organization and to perform such duties as may be assigned them by the president. The membership fee was one dollar.
POPULATION STATISTICS.
The various census reports of this county show the following facts : In 1860 the county contained only twelve people-six men and six women ; in 1870 it had increased to 534; in 1875 to 2,870; in 1880 it liad reached 5,553; in 1885 it was 5,894; in 1890 it was 7,412; in 1900 it was 12,069; in 1910 it was 12,651.
312
COTTONWOOD AND WATONWAN COUNTIES, MINN.
POPULATION IN 1895 BY PRECINCTS.
Amboy
343
Mountain Lake
612
Amo
296
Mountain Lake Village.
595
Ann
402
Rose Hill
480
Carson
655
Selma
405
Dale
367
Southbrook
318
Delton
350
Springfield
35I
Germantown 1
488
Storden
439
Great Bend
320
Highwater
569
Windom Village
Lakeside
547
Midway
1
!
1
528
Total
10,187
CENSUS OF 1900 AND 1910.
1910
1900
IgIO
1900
Amboy
437
489
Midway
658
607
Amo
395
358
Mountain Lake
512
561
Ann
433
500
Mountain Lake Vil-
Bingham Lake Vil-
lage
1,08I
959
lage
285
3II
Rose Hill
510
535
Carson
672
623
Selma
530
427
Dale
483
455
Southbrook
303
350
Delton
37I
360
Springfield
332
361
Germantown
522
512
Storden
659
548
Great Bend
1
444
435
Westbrook
579
688
Highwater
59I
627
Westbrook Village-
429
Jeffers Village.
t
227
Windom Village __
1.749
1,944
Lakeside
449
392
Total
.12.651
12,069
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1.523
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599
Westbrook
1
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1
NATIONALITY OF POPULATION.
According to the United States census in 1910 the following national- ities were here represented : 9.787 were native-born Americans: Germans, 624: Swedes, 185; Norwegians, 723: English and Irish, 61; Danish, 207; Austrians, 112: Russians, 821 : other countries, 131.
313
COTTONWOOD AND WATONWAN COUNTIES, MINN.
VILLAGE PLATS.
The following are the village plats of Cottonwood county :
Bingham Lake, situated in section 9, township 105, range 35, west, was platted by the officers of the St. Paul & Sioux City Railroad Com- pany, July 28, 1875.
Delft, in the southeast quarter of the northwest quarter and the south- west quarter of section 18, township 106, range 35, was platted by the Inter-State Land Company, June 18, 1902.
Jeffers was platted by the Inter-State Land Company, September 19. 1899, in section 20, township 107, range 36, west.
Mountain Lake was platted by the officers of the St. Paul & Sioux City Railroad Company, May 25, 1872, in section 33, township 106, range 34, west.
Westbrook was platted by the Inter-State Land Company, June 8, 1900, in section 29, township 107, range 38.
Windom was platted by the St. Paul & Sioux City Railroad Company, May 25, 1872, in the southwest quarter of section 25, and parts of sec- tions 26 and 36, township 105, range 36 west. The president of the com- pany was then Elias Drake.
Storden was platted by the Inter-State Land Company, July 8, 1903, comprising all of the southwest quarter of the southwest quarter of section 29, township 107, range 37 west.
PLATTED CEMETERIES.
Besides several private or family burying grounds in this county, there are the following public cemeteries :
Amo cemetery, platted March 2, 1899, in the northeast corner of section 21, township 106, range 37, west. This was platted by the trus- tees of the Methodist Episcopal church of the township.
Delton cemetery, in the north half of the southeast quarter of section 22, township 107, range 35, west ; filed on November 11, 1886.
Windom cemetery, platted by the Windom Cemetery Association, by W. B. Cook, president, E. L. Leonard, treasurer, July 20, 1890. This is situated on a part of the south half of the southeast quarter of the south- east quarter of section 25, township 105, range 36, west.
St. Francis cemetery, platted, February 4, 1901, in the southeast quar- ' ter of the northeast quarter of section 36, township 105, range 36.
Carson church and cemetery grounds, platted on December 8, 1900, by
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COTTONWOOD AND WATONWAN COUNTIES, MINN.
the trustees of the Mennonite church, in section 15, township 106, range 35, west.
Mountain Lake cemetery was platted by the Mountain Lake Cemetery Association, David Ewert, president ; John Janzen, secretary, and Henry P. Goertz, treasurer, March 18, 1893, in section 33, township 106, range 34, west.
Westbrook cemetery was platted in the northeast quarter of the north- east quarter of section 29, township 107, range 38, west, by the village authorities of Westbrook, February 19, 1913.
ALTITUDES.
According to the government surveys made several years since, the altitude above the sea at Windom was thirteen hundred and thirty-four feet and at Heron Lake it is fourteen hundred and six feet.
MARKET QUOTATIONS.
In 1872 these prices obtained in Cottonwood county: Wheat. 90 cents ; flour, per hundred weight, $3.10; eggs, 12 cents per dozen ; butter, per pound. Io cents; corn, per bushel, 40 cents; oats, 20 cents; hay (wild), $5.00 per ton.
In 1880 the prices ranged as follows: Wheat, 90 cents; flour, $3.00; oats, 20 cents ; corn, 20 cents ; barley, 25 cents ; potatoes, 25 cents ; butter, 12 cents ; eggs, 16 cents; fresh pork, per hundred, $3.50.
In 1890 these prices are found in the Windom Reporter: Wheat, 75 cents ; oats, 29 cents ; butter, 10 cents; eggs, 14 cents.
In the month of August, 1916, the following prices obtained in this locality and at Mankato: Wheat, $1.50; corn, 86 cents; oats. 43 cents ; hogs, $9.63; cattle, top prices, $10.95; eggs, 21 cents ; heavy hens, 14 cents a pound ; potatoes, $1.00; dairy butter, 30 cents a pound ; hand separated butter, 33 cents per pound ; creamery butter, 35 cents per pound.
GRASSHOPPER PLAGUE.
In 1873 all of southwestern Minnesota came under the devastating influences of the grasshoppers, which continued until 1878. In the way of relief to the destitute settlers may be mentioned the following :
Gen. J. W. Bishop, general manager of the Sioux City Railroad, issued an order donating all the timber owned by the road situated more than a mile from the track to destitute settlers. Besides, the eastern stockholders donated the sum of one hundred and fifty dollars each to those whose only dependence was in the hands of charity.
315
COTTONWOOD AND WATONWAN COUNTIES, MINN.
The state Legislature passed a seed wheat bill, to aid destitute settlers on the frontier, the substance of which is given as follows: "Section I. That the sum of twenty-five thousand dollars or so much thereof as may be necessary is hereby appropriated out of any money in the state treasury, belonging to the general revenue funds, not otherwise appropriated, for the relief of destitute settlers on the frontier counties of the state, for the pur- chase of grain.
"Section 2. Provided, that no more than thirty dollars shall be paid to one family."
As a result of the above bill, Cottonwood county received about four thousand five hundred bushels of grain, which cost one dollar and eight cents a bushel.
In February, 1874, many of the settlers held a meeting for the purpose of asking an extension of time for the payment of personal taxes. The state came to their aid and passed a bill extending the time until the follow- ing November, provided no taxes were in arrears.
GRASSHOPPER CONVENTION.
In May, 1874, a grasshopper convention was held in Windom, about two hundred attending. A general opinion prevailed that the destruction of crops for the year was inevitable and that aid was necessary. The con- vention passed a resolution requesting Governor Davis to appoint ex-Gover- nor Miller as a commissioner to go to Washington and lay facts before Congress and ask relief. A motion also prevailed to grant settlers the right to leave their claims until the grasshopper raid was over and they were able to procure the necessary seed for another year. A committee of one from each county afflicted was appointed to canvass their respective count- ties and ascertain the amount of relief necessary and report to the gov- ernor at once.
In July, 1874, the county auditor received returns from the townships showing the per cent of grain destroyed.
Wheat.
Oats.
Corn.
Flax.
Amboy
75
65
25
100
Southbrook
95
60
70
100
Springfield
100
100
75
95
Germantown
90
100
55
Carson
80
75
55
60
Amo
85
80
60
60
Ann
60
55
65
100
Clinton
90
70
43
100
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316
COTTONWOOD AND WATONWAN COUNTIES, MINN.
STORM OF 1873.
On January 7, 1873. in that terrible storm mentioned elsewhere in this volume, William Norris lost his life in Springfield township within eighty rods of his own house. The farm is now owned by George Morley, in section 30. About half of the men were in Windom that day trading and of course stayed all night there. This was the same storm Mr. Peterson writes about when the scholars all had to remain in the Big Bend school house for nearly two days.
TIIE CYCLONE OF 1903.
The first severe cyclone to visit these parts after the county's settlement was the one which devastated things in general early in June, 1903. Eight persons were killed, as follow: Daniel Galligher and two daughters, Mrs. Joe Fritcher and baby, a daughter of Mrs. Joe Fritcher, the father of Mr. Fritcher and Joseph Mathias. Aside from two sons this wiped out the Gal- ligher family of this county.
The local papers said (Windom, July 1, 1903) : "Leaving death and destruction in its pathway, a cyclone passed over this county four miles south of this city last evening. It was about seven o'clock when the storm was at its worst. Many houses, barns and outbuildings were torn asunder and in one of the houses three people were killed. The house of Daniel Galligher stood on the edge of an embankment overlooking String lake. The storm swept the building into the lake, killing Mr. Galligher and his two grown-up daughters. At a late hour this morning but one of the bodies-that of one of the two daughters-has been found. Her clothing was entirely torn away, the bones of the body were broken and she presented an awful appearance. Mr. Galligher's granary was blown away; his horses and cat- tle all killed and a vast amount of other damage done on the premises. The daughters of Mr. Galligher, Nettie and Ella, were well known in Windom.
"In Windom a fearful gale blew, but no damage resulted further than trees being torn up by the roots and signs dislocated."
On the Crowell farm a piece of a fork was found driven through the trunk of a tree. Spears of straw and hay were literally driven through the bark of growing trees. On E. H. Klock's farm a most wonderful thing occurred and which no one can account for. Within a grove and near his house stood a farm wagon with a heavy box hay rack on it. There was a grove of willows and other artificial trees, many of which were thirty fect high. These at the point named stood on the highway and after the storm
317
COTTONWOOD AND WATONWAN COUNTIES, MINN.
had passed (Mr. Klock and family being in Windom at the time of the storm) the wagon was found headed as before, only it had been picked up and carried over these thirty-foot trees and set down in a direct line where it had stood in the yard the hour of the storm. The wagon and rack were not in the least broken and the tongue was pointed in the same direction as before, only out in the highway several rods from its former position and beyond these trees.
Just before the storm struck. all the cattle on D. U. Weld's farm seemed to divine what was coming and made a stampede for the stock barn.
It was flying timbers of the destroyed Hager school house that killed Joseph Mathias.
D. A. Noble was returning from his farm near Windom and saw the storm. Not knowing which way it was going, he halted a moment, watched its course and acted accordingly. He was near its edge and easily saw the storm cross the Des Moines river and on up a slope to where Dr. Silas Allen's old landmark, the red granary, stood. The latter was picked up and carried high in the air. when, all of a sudden it seemed to explode and disappeared in splinters; no piece was ever found of this building except a door to it.
CYCLONE OF 1908.
The presence of cellars probably saved many lives of Cottonwood county citizens on Monday evening, June 22, 1908, when a terrible cyclone swept through to the north and east of Windom. The loss of property amounted to hundreds of thousands of dollars, but the growing crops were practically uninjured.
The cyclone formed somewhere in the Des Moines river valley three or four miles from Windom, and first struck the home of Frank Shottle, on section 15, in Great Bend township, destroying his barn, killing several horses and other stock; then went nearly cast to Paul Hooke's, where some small buildings were destroyed, but no serious damage done. From there the storm swept over section 14, striking the home of Ross Nichols, the Mrs. Warren farm, where the barn was completely destroyed and the prairie for half a mile or more strewn with the debris. The house was partially un- shingled, and within about fifteen feet some large silver maples, nearly thirty years old, were uprooted, while south of the house other trees were destroyed, but the house, otherwise than as mentioned, was uninjured. The family saw the storm coming and started for the cellar, but the storm had passed. Just east of this place about ten yards, the storm encountered the telephone wires
318
COTTONWOOD AND WATONWAN COUNTIES, MINN.
of the Northwestern and the Tri-State and Windom Mutual, tearing up poles and entangling the wires badly. The telephone lines for forty or fifty rods wer entirely destroyed.
The storm continued over section 15, striking the barn of John Carlson, moving it several feet from its foundation, and unroofed the house. Five horses in the barn were unhurt. Also in the Nichols barn were three horses and a few cattle and all escaped injury. Mr. Carlson was standing near the house when he first saw the storm approaching. He said that there were two funnel-shaped clouds that came together, one from the southeast and one from the northeast and that they united just west of Shottle's grove, sweep- ing down upon it with utter destruction. From here it proceeded to the east side of section 12, where it demolished the barn belonging to a lady in Iowa and badly damaged the house. Proceeding to the east, it struck the wind- mill of M. F. Frickie, doing slight injury, but on the northeast quarter of section 6, in Lakeside township, just north of the Frickie home, it struck the home of Jacob Fast, tearing off chimneys, blowing in windows of the house and destroying several buildings. This was the third cyclone to hit Mr. Fast in recent years, causing him great losses.
George Potter's barn, on the southwest quarter of section 5 in Lakeside township, was next hit and was completely destroyed. Isaac Foth's home was next in the path on the southwest quarter of section 32. Here peculiar freaks of the cyclone were noticed. It is customary for the Mennonites generally to build houses and barns in conjunction with each other and in this case Mr. Foth's house and barn cornered. The house was practically untouched while the barn was ruined. The beautiful grove was torn and twisted beyond recognition, great trees being uprooted, while others were peeled and twisted off at different distances from the ground. Isaac Foth said that when the storm struck him, there were two funnel shaped clouds in sight, one of which struck his house and the other he thought struck the Fast and Peter places, from which it would seem that the two cyclones which united at the Shottle place, separated between Carlson's and Foth's.
The next place in the path of destruction was that of A. L. Thompson, in Carson township, where the barn was moved. The barn contained five horses, none of which were injured. The machine shed and several out- buildings were destroyed and the grove twisted, uprooted and denuded of all foliage.
Continning northward from the home of Mr. Thompson, the dwelling of Henry Loewen was completely wiped off the earth and nothing but a hole remained, together with some debris, to mark the spot. This was on the
319
COTTONWOOD AND WATONWAN COUNTIES, MINN.
northeast half of section 33. Carson township. On the section south and eighty rods distant was the home of A. J. Wiebe, one of the most prosperous and wealthy of the Mennonite farmers, and the scene of the most terrible desolation. His grove was planted in 1868 by George Robinson and was one of the first planted on the prairies of Cottonwood county. The place was one of the most delightful in this part of Minnesota, embracing a splendid orchard and excellent buildings, all of which except a small part of the house were completely destroyed. One horse was killed and two buried in the debris of the barn, but taken out alive. On the prairie east of the house several cattle were killed. Here trees forty years old were uprooted. broken off and twisted into all shapes and the grove practically ruined. The farm was hedged with long rows of willows and these were twisted into an almost solid mass and interwoven with wire fencing. No one was at home except the children, who sought safety in the cellar, but they were so frightened that they were unable to give any definite account of what happened. When asked how long the storm lasted one replied, "long time," but in reality it was not longer than one minute. Mr. Wiebe's buildings were all new and modern. But after the storm had passed nothing remained except a few jars of fruit in the cellar and a yard covered with boards and building material. It was here that they were trying to get into the cellar. All but John Eitzen, a man of about seventy years, succeeded. He, together with a horse, was carried a quarter of a mile and dropped in a slough. where he was afterwards found, the old gentleman being somewhat dazed but otherwise uninjured. The slough was covered with debris from the ruins, while the prairie all the way to the pond was covered with kindling wood. On the northeast quarter of the same section were the homes of Henry and Peter Wiems. Henry's barn was completely destroyed. with a number of cattle, while the house escaped injury. Peter's home was a few rods east of the barn and outbuildings, which were completely destroyed. while the house was somewhat damaged. Two steel water tanks were carried away and no trace of them ever found. .A team of horses was carried one half a mile and dropped and when found were grazing as if nothing of importance had happened.
The storm then jumped about two miles northeast and struck the home of Klaas Boltd, killing a horse and destroying all the buildings. On the northeast quarter of section 23 in Carson township. George Klaasin lost all of his buildings except the house, those destroyed including barns, granary and a number of small structures, such as machine sheds, etc. His stock were scattered over the prairie east of the buildings, three cows and one horse being among the dead.
Pri Klassen lived in section 12 of the same township. He lost all of his banklings, valued at from the to ten thousand dollars He was not at home at the time, but his wife tried to save her children by going into the collar They were caught in the wreck and all batch escaped with their lives, except que chuld, who was killed.
David Hamm, ou section 18. Midway township, lost all of las buildings. Jacob Putting, a near neighbor, lost his home as well as a large amount of Stock The family sought safety in the cellar, in which there was about À lượt of water. When the house left the foundation the suction was so great Is to drench the people in the cellar by drawing water up and over them. This sương to have been the end of the storm, which was followed by a heart rain Jacob lipps was returning from Mountain Lake and was caught in the path of the evelone in the neighborhood of Quirings, being badly injured bà wagen and hơn cướp bằng blown against him
In the Cutting and Ham pastures the stock presented a mauled appear- mer A two my tom timber was pulled from one of Dick's horses, as was stick which had penetrated the neck of a heiter three inches. Chickens were found stripped as clean as though prepared for the sten pot
Panel & Davis started the ball rolling for aid to the destitute, inclu ing the Henry Lavan family, who lost all they had In the fearful windstorm. They were renters lượng on an long man's farm. Immediately a wagon In anal thye of provisions and clothes were collected and Mr Davis took the site to the needs and destitute sufferers Sonte gonve moner and others such provisions as they had hands. This was an act of kindness not soon to
SNOW STORM
Ou Felun . St, sten began thing from the southeast and con- tinned with morearing seventy until the following Monday. The snow was accompanied by a strong will and the thermometer registered sixteen in Wenn EIN degrees below for This storm was formed a "fire in the rear." as povet Fotore had the people experienced a bheard from the southeast Snow dotted matte the railroad cute and tran service was suspended maleri mich On Monday, the vth, the mathod began work trying to clear the right of war OF the eth a homelike bheard came in from the northwest and com- moved out after the moth Veren of three hundred men were put to work on the road banden Mountain Lake and Wisdom, but not until the with Well that's al'e to get through
COTTONWOOD AND WARONHAN CORNTHE, MING
A BALAI RUIN
In Apil, 1881, a gew of men ware working in the ant not huphon Lake clearing the track of snow The company had an engine and now plus near at hand to aid m the work when necessary. It seems that the engineer had orders to make a nor me an attempt to get through the gift Anyway, the men working in the cut were wholly unconscious of any dampet until the engine was almost upon them and then it was too late to scale 1. Littke was caught by the snow plow and thrown quite a distance, break. ing his neck and Killing Inm instantly August Painmerster was tnown nuder the tank and co wedged in the snow that it took nearly two hours to dig lum out. Besides Burmeister, three other worksmen were injured.
HAY BURNED
Many thousands of tons of prairie hay were burned annually by prairie fres for a number of years after the settlement of this county. In 1871 A. A Soule fost forty tons of splendid hay and Mr Peterson lost all he had stacked, also his grain and stabling. The fire was seen approaching the village ol Mountain Lake, but timely work prevented it From getting into the place
A PRAIRIE BLIZZARD IN 1873
Rey, Frank Peterson, D. D. so well known in Mmnesota in donc work, located in the neighborhood of Worthington in the early seventies, and here is his account of the great 1873 blizzard, wo frequently referred to by lowa Minnesota pioneers. 'Has storm was on January 7, 1873 Jolly three years ago. Doctor Peterson says :
"The afternoon of that day was mild and dear Many had taken ad vantage of this and had gone to neighbors visiting, or to town to do they trading, or persibly to the near by lake to fight. In the only afternoon, however, a sudden change was noticed in the atmosphere and in the sky All win were away limried to get hone, and hionce nearly all were canglit by the storm that went over Minnesota, including Jackson and Cottonwood counting.
"A frightening roar was heard in the northwest and, looking, one could see a great white wall reaching from the donde to the earth, coming at the rate of forty miles an hour. It was a blizzard, filling the air with frozen
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COTTONWOOD AND WATONWAN COUNTIES, MINN.
snow and driving it forward with the fierceness of a gigantic sandblast. No man or beast can face it. One turns instinctively from it, and once turned and started there is no such thing as stopping. One is driven onward, while un- mercifully whipped by the frozen snow until, in sheer exhaustion, the ill- fated traveler sinks into the drift. Tired out, he becomes drowsy, then a numbness sets in, and then a sleep fom which there is no waking this side of the resurrection morn. About seventy people perished who were in the path of this never-to-be-forgotten storm.
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